Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-03-18
MIDDLEBURY'S SCHOOLS.

MlDDlEBURY SCHOOLS.
REPORT OF REV. A. DE F. PALMER, ST.
PERINTENDENT, FOR TIE YEAR
ENDED MARCH |, 1887.
Your superintendent has endeavored
to perform his duties as required by law,
and for the best good of the schools in
town. To do this it has been necessary
to visit the several schools that | might
become acquainted with their condition,
and learn whether good work was being
done by teachers and scholars and real
progress being made. 1t also gave Inc
opportunity to give such counsel to
teachers as seemed to be needed. | be-
lieve that both teachers and scholars will
do better work. if they know that some
one is interested in them and is taking
note of the work they are doing. For
this reason, not only school officers but
parents should take lively interest in
our schools and by their sympathy and
cooperation encourage the teacher. \
visit to the school room, pleasant word
with the teacher, a hearty cooperation
in carrying out her plans for the benefit
of the school, and especially careful
oversight of your own children that they
comply with the rules of the school and
do their own work thoroughly, will do
much to promote the efficiency and sue
cess of the school.
You would not leave flock of sheep
in distant pasture without an OCCASION
al visit to see how they Jared. Is not
the education of our children of as much
importance?
The external condition of the school
houses is good, with one exception. The
house in the Seeley district (No. y was
painted last summer. Some Others should
be soon. No. s especially needs some re-
pairs and to be painted at once. Nearly
all should receive some internal repairs.
\ schoolroom should always be neat
and attractive. A refined taste and
habits of order and neatness should be
cultivated in children in school. Aroom
whose walls and ceilings are defaced
with broken plastering. and dingy with
the accumulated smoke and dirt of years.
does not tend to this. Nor will the chill
dren themselves be as careful of the
school property and of their own books
in such Il room. 1t would be small en-
pense to thoroughly cleanse each school
room, paint the woodwork and whiten
or tint the walls and ceiling, and | am
sure it would be money well invested
and to the credit of the district to do so.
Schools have been maintained three
terms in all the districts with good
measure of success. In Nos. : and the
whole number of weeks was Is. In
other schools more. | think no term
should be less than ten weeks and would
strongly urge those schools who have
had weeks to increase to 10. | think
all teachers employed have endeavored
to do faithful work. All have had a fair
degree of success-some much greater
than others. There is great difference
in the natural ability and fitness of teach
ers as well as in their acquired qualiiica-
tions. Not every one who knows enough
will make good teacher. Some will
never be successful. Hence committees
should exercise great care and dEcrim-
ination in the selection of teachers and
should if possible ascertain what has been
their previous success. 1t would be we'll to
consult with the superintendent in this
matter. 1t is not pleasant for him to
refuse certificate to one who has already
been engaged to teach, if she can pass
the required examination. and he would
hardly feel at liberty to do so. Yet he
might regard the probabilities of success
very small, or might know that one who
would succeed fairly in one school would
fail in another. In some cases commit
school without certificate. This is
very wrong, as it almost forces the su-
perintendent to grant it or publicly dis
grace the teacher, and the law makes the
committee liable for money paid to a
teacher without certificate. 1t gives
me much pleasure to say that some of
the most successful and efficient teachers
of the past year haYe been those who
belonged in our own town. Why should
it not be so? With our excellent graded
school and our college open to both sexes,
for full or partial course of studT, we
ought to produce teachers of the highest
qualifications both for our own town
and others. And would suggest that
some normal training might be gwen in
our High school, with great advantage to
those who wish to teach.
If we would have and retain good leach
ers we must be willing to pay fair wages,
or other towns will covet our bes gifts
and take them away from us. a good
teacher at higher price is cheaper than
a poor one at any price.
! find great need that the course of
study in the district schools should be
more systematized, so that more time
may be given to each recitation and
steady advancement be made. f the
parents will cooperate with the sperin-
tendent and teacher this may be done.
also find that some children are noiprop-
erly supplied with books. If prents
cannot or will not do this, the law makes
it the duty of the committee to do I, and
should be enforced. The last legislature
passed an act which required thatscien-
titic temperance should be taught to all
pupils in all public schools in theState.
The penalty of neglect by any scool to
comply with this requirement is tie for
feiture of its share of the public money.
+ That the provisions of this law nay be
more readily carried out free textbooks
of suitable grades will be provited by
, the State. While this law will irrease
the work in our already crowded shools,
the benefits of such study are soippar-
ent that | trust it will be receive with
!, favor and have the hearty supprt of
parents. Especially let us manifst our
appreciation of the generosity # the
y in